Since Kurt Vonnegutâ€™s death in April of 2007, the popular media has made numerous tributesand launched a few attacks, most notably Fox Newsâ€™ vituperative April 16, 2007 obituary. Itseems time for a more scholarly retrospective on Vonnegutâ€™s life and work. This panel willexplore Vonnegutâ€™s influence on contemporary literature as well as new directions for Vonnegutcriticism in the 21st Century. Papers may address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

--Vonnegut and postmodernism--Neglected or overlooked works in the Vonnegut canon--The trajectory of Vonnegutâ€™s career--Vonnegut as science fiction writer--Vonnegutâ€™s influence on other writers--Vonnegut and Abstract Expressionism/Vonnegut as visual artist--Race/Gender in Vonnegutâ€™s work--Vonnegut as stylist--Humor in Vonnegut--The political Vonnegut--Vonnegut in the 21st Century

Please e-mail 500-word abstracts by December 15, 2007 to Susan Farrell, College of Charleston,at:farrells_at_cofc.edu